This story has a few head-fakes and “meet-cutes”, almost like a silly Rom-Com I USED to love. STAY-TUNED! It is worth a good commercial.

I haven’t blogged in awhile because I haven’t heard God, The Whisper Within, for some time. Probably my fault, because you can’t hear someone if you are not spending time with them. Just like a friend, if you are not spending time in person or otherwise, how do you know what’s going on in their life? Simply put, I know God speaks to me through reading his word but over the last month or so, I’ve been out of touch.

This past week, I am back reading the Bible and listening, and funny, God orchestrated his usual, funny circumstance.

On New Year’s Eve, as me and my friend were walking up the steps from the beach, a man yelled, “Hey Chicago.” Forgetting I was wearing a Cub’s hat, I turned and said, “Oh Hey.” We quickly exchanged information that we both were from Chicago but now live here, we both have an eighty-eight year old parent living back in Chicago, and definitely don’t miss the snow.

I quipped, “Ya, today Chicago is getting snow and that’s probably why I can’t get a hold of my dad. He’s probably out there snow blowing.”

The man remarked, “Your dad is eighty-eight and snow blowing?” My friend retorted, “You don’t know her dad. He’s amazing. He seriously is a cat and has nine lives.” My friend went on to explain that a year ago my dad was hit by a speeding car while he was walking and broke no bones, survived cancer, fell off a ladder, still gardens and donated like a hundred pounds or more to the food bank…”

The man stated, “You know the secret to living a good life is to have a life with purpose. Your dad has purpose.”

The man asked, “Where does your dad live?” I said, “Darien.” He said, “Wow. I grew up in Westmont. Small world.” I giggled and said, ” I grew up in Westmont, too.” He called his mom and asked, “Mom, what was our address in Westmont?” He turned to me and said, “I grew up on Cass Avenue and 56th Street.” I shook my head and said,” I grew up on Cass Avenue by 63rd Street.” I overheard him say to his mom, “I’m talking to this lady, she grew up down the street from us. What was grade school did we go to, mom?”

He looked at me and said, “Did you go to Maercker grade school?… Ah, I probably would not have know you, I’m fifty five and you are younger than me.” I said, “I went Zion Lutheran in Hinsdale and I’ll be fifty five next month.”

As the man continued to talk with his mom on the phone, the wheels in my brain were turning. Same age. We grew up just blocks apart. We both live here. Is this my perfect Rom- Com “meet cute”?

He hung up the phone with his mom and said, “I would love to hear more about your dad, actually MY WIFE, is a journalist and she probably would love to write a story about him. Yep, wife. My Rom- Com perfect ending was over. But I did hear God whisper, ” It will be that easy for you, Lisa. Trust me.”

Here’s the head-fake. This blog is not about me but something bigger.

Last night, I was looking at my daughter’s website and saw a picture that she took of my dad.

I couldn’t help but think of what the man from the beach said about living a good life.

What is a “Good Life?”

Is it having the spouse? friends? relationships? right job? enough money or things?

My Bible devotion today was about relationships. It stated the foundation of our relationship should be with God because sooner or later, our relationship with a spouse, our children, our friends, may break down. I know I have painfully experienced this.

So what is the “Good Life” ?

I looked at the picture of my father and smiled knowing that he exemplifies the “Good Life”, living a life with purpose, for the glory of God.

” …Whatever you do, do all for the glory of God.” Corinthians 10:13